The Joyce Theater Welcomes Russell Maliphant Company with STILL CURRENT, Now thru 12/14

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Linda Shelton Executive Director, presents the return engagement of Russell Maliphant Company with its production of Still Current, along with the solos Afterlight (Part One) and Two, at The Joyce Theater from tonight, December 10 - 14. Tickets range in price from $10-$49 ($26-$37 for Joyce Theater members), and can be purchased through JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or via the internet at www.joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

A program of works created by acclaimed choreographer Russell Maliphant, Still Current features newly created duets, trios, and solos danced by Maliphant himself and his remarkable company, including Thomasin Gülgeç, Dickson Mbi, and Carys Staton, all of whom recently stunned audiences in Maliphant's The Rodin Project, seen at The Joyce in 2012. The program also includes the award-winning solos Afterlight (Part One) and Two. A diverse physical language links the pieces, integrating vocabulary from contemporary, ballet, and martial arts.

Performances feature outstanding lighting by long-time Maliphant collaborator Michael Hulls, eclectic musical compositions by Erik Satie and by film-score composer Armand Amar, and new music by Andy Cowton and Mukul.

A masterpiece of modern dance, Afterlight (Part One) is a visual feast that explores new possibilities in lighting and the beauty of movement. Set to Erik Satie's hauntingly beautiful Gnossiennes 1 - 4 and new compositions by Andy Cowton, Afterlight (Part One) is a continuation of Russell's ideas inspired by photographs of Vaslav Nijinsky and his geometric drawings. Premiering in 2009 for Sadler's Wells' In The Spirit of Diaghilev, Afterlight (Part One) was developed by Maliphant with lighting designer Michael Hulls and features projections created in collaboration with animator Jan Urbanowski.

Two, another award-winning solo that premiered in 1997, was inspired by Maurice Béjart's Boléro. This piece explores the relationship between movement, space, and momentum. Set to eerie, electronic music by Andy Cowton, Two focuses on a single dancer, seemingly trapped within a rectangular box that has been hauntingly created with the help of Michael Hulls' lighting design.

This engagement is presented in association with Russell Maliphant Company and Sadler's Wells London.

RUSSELL MALIPHANT - The work of choreographer Russell Maliphant is characterized by a unique flow and energy and an ongoing exploration of the relationship between movement, light and music. The choreographer's deep interest in sculpture has always been present as an inspiration for the body in light. Working closely with pioneering Lighting Designer Michael Hulls, Maliphant continues to develop and explore these ideas.

Maliphant trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. In 1988, he left to pursue a career in independent dance, working with companies such as DV8 Physical Theatre, Michael Clark & Company, Laurie Booth and Rosemary Butcher. He has studied anatomy, physiology and bio-mechanics, became certified as a practitioner of the Rolfing Method of Structural Integration in 1994, which subsequently informed both his teaching and choreographic vocabulary.

He formed Russell Maliphant Company in 1996, which seeks to integrate and explore elements from a diverse range of techniques including classical ballet, contact improvisation, yoga, capoeira, tai chi and chi gung. In addition to working with his own company of project based dancers, he has also set works on renowned companies and artists including: Sylvie Guillem, Robert Lepage, Lyon Opera Ballet, Batsheva Ensemble and the BalletBoyz. Maliphant is the recipient of several arts and dance awards including: Two Olivier Awards, Critics Circle National Dance Award, Time Out Live Award and a South Bank Show Award. In 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Plymouth.

ABOUT THE JOYCE THEATER - The Joyce Theater Foundation, a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences for three decades. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce Theater is named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther's clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant home for more than 320 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 2009, The Joyce opened Dance Art New York (DANY) Studios to provide affordable studios for rehearsals, auditions, classes, and workshops for independent choreographers, non-profit dance companies, and the dance/theater communities. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyce's Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Dance Chats. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000.

Russel Maliphant Company will present its group work Still Current, along with the solos Afterlight (Part One) and Two, at The Joyce Theater from December 10 - 14 as follows: Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday-Saturday at 8:00pm; and Sunday at 2:00pm. Dance Chat, a free post-performance talkback with members of the company, will take place on Thursday, December 11. This enlightening discussion is open to all patrons attending that evening's performance. Tickets are $10-$49 ($26-$37 for Joyce members) and can be arranged by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or online at www.joyce.org. Please note: ticket prices are subject to change. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street. For more info, visit www.Joyce.org.

Photo: Hugo Glendinning